China Sets R&D Targets for 2020

China expects knowledge-intensive servicesto contribute 20 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020, up from15.6 percent in 2015, according to the country's five-year plan for science andtechnology progress by 2020.

The State Council plan, published onMonday, lists targets for science and technology from 2016 to 2020 as well asgovernment action to help realize the targets.

Total factor productivity, of whichtechnology is a sub-set, aims to account for 60 percent of growth in 2020, upfrom 55.3 percent last year.

The number of patent applications in 2020is expected to be double that of 2015, according to the plan.

By 2020, out of every 10,000 workers, 60will be engaged in research and development, up from 48.5 in 2015, the plansaid.

Priorities for the government over the nextfive years include directing resources to strategic areas, fosteringcreativity, creating a favorable policy environment and removing barriers to innovation.

The country will spend more resources inresearch areas key to its national strength and security, including computerchip, integrated circuit equipment, broadband mobile telecommunication, digitalmachinery, nuclear power, genetic modification, water pollution control, newmedicines, manned space programs and lunar exploration.

China also hopes to make breakthroughs inareas such as deep-sea exploration, quantum computing and brain science.Agriculture, computing, green energy, biology and environmental protection willalso receive more attention. The government promises greater support for basicresearch, science labs and international research.

China will take an active part in theInternational Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project and the SquareKilometer Array (SKA) telescope project, according to the plan.

The plan lists measures to improvelegislation on research and development, streamline fund raising and raise theefficiency of governance.

The government will encourage enterprisesto invest more in R&D and offer preferential policies toknowledge-intensive startups while pushing universities and research institutesto improve efficiency.

China will also expand cooperation inscience and technological development with other countries, especially thosealong the Belt and Road.

The government will encourage jointresearch projects between Chinese and foreign institutes and enterprises toattract more high-level foreign experts to work in China.